How to give a cat medicine

[nepeta]

Despite your cat being declawed, I second the use of the Klaw Kontrol bag. It's a cat-sized duffel bag with a head opening (and comes in 3 sizes). With their feet completely confined in the bag, they can't offer too much resistance to you.

I think the close confines of the bag and the neck strap may also help settle them down. I used the bag to give meds and sub-q's to a recalcitrant cat (maybe not so much so as yours) and it made the difference between impossible and relatively easy.

[columbine]

Chlorpheniramine (brand name is Chlor-Trimeton, but make sure you get just chlorpheniramine and nothing else mixed in - I use generic chlorpheniramine) is less icky-tasting and supposedly safer for cats. Grind up a quarter pill (1 mg) in a bit of water, mix with chicken baby food, and smear on his fur (paws, face, tummy, anyplace he can reach is fair game).

Love, Columbine

[So-Crafty]

Thank you for that suggestion. I will definitely try that!

[happylabs]

I can sympathize with you on this one. My cat Kit-Kat had frequent urinary problems and was on meds off and on. Have you tried a pill pusher. I don't know if that is the correct name for it but it looks like a syringe only instead it just has a rubber end that you put the pill in and shoot it down their throat. (See photo) I believe I bought it at a pet store but I may have gotten it from my vet. Kit-Kat used to foam at the mouth terribly whenever we would try to give her a pill.



Good luck and hope she isn't too sick.

[So-Crafty]

The whole problem with an oral syringe and pill pusher is getting the object near his mouth. If we could manage to get anything in his mouth, we would just use our fingers.

We have no problem with Maddie when it comes time to give her anything, and we when we have to we always try to do it in front of Maui to show him that we aren't hurting her when we do it (a kind of "Monkey See, Monkey Do.")

Ugh and the Vet called, they have to reschedule his appointment. Not very happy. Monday afternoon he goes.

I'm going to try doing the other medication (Chlor-Trimeton). If it smells and tastes better than the Benadryl, I might be able to try the pill pocket again. Maui knows the box for the Benadryl and can smell the thing through the pill pocket. If that doesn't work, we'll mash it up and mix it in his cat food, or as a last resort, make it into a paste and put it on his paws.